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Trudeau and Harper compete for manliest political leader - Macleans.ca

Trudeau and Harper compete for manliest political leader

Masculinity is all the rage in Canadian politics. Justin Trudeau had just finished showing off his handyman bona fides when Prime Minister Stephen Harper, immersing himself in Canada’s far north for a week, outgunned his Liberal foe. Literally.

The prime minister fired off a few rounds of a vintage Lee Enfield rifle—the same used by Canadians during the First World War—as part of a visit with Canadian Rangers, the military unit tasked with securing Canada’s sovereignty in the north. Let’s review everything Harper accomplished in a single photo-op: a nod to Canada’s military heritage? Check. Active support of sovereignty in the north? Check. Friendly reminder to gun owners that the prime minister looks comfortable with a firearm? Check. Manly man bravado captured for posterity? Check. Once again, Harper demonstrates his ability to control a news agenda without saying much of anything. He let the gun do the talking.

So now we have Trudeau, who likes fixing things, and Harper, who likes shooting things. It’s about time Tom Mulcair, the NDP leader, defined his manliest trait. The beard’s a good start, but hasn’t he ever built his own car, or fought a grizzly bear, or gone a week without a beard trim?

Second, she said that 2% of Canadians are farmers (Stats Can again – 293,925 farm operators with 297,683 employees equals 591,608 “farmers” in Canada, which is 1.7% of our population).

So, since Emily is saying that there are 6,329,414 Canadians living in rural Canada, and there are 591,608 farmers in Canada, then it’s pretty clear that she’s explicitly saying that there are 5,737,806 people who aren’t farmers living in rural Canada.

It’s axiomatic.

It’s always weird coming to Emily’s defence, but she’s got the numbers pretty right here. In fact, according to Statistics Canada, she has slightly underrepresented the percentage of the nation that is urban (it was actually 81% of the population in 2011), and slightly over-represented the number of farmers (actually 1.7% of the population in 2011).

Lord_Kitcheners_Own on August 22, 2013 at 10:05 pm

EmilyOne must like it when you do her homework for her. Some do grow up in that fashion.

Francien Verhoeven on August 23, 2013 at 11:39 am

What?

It seems clear to me from the accuracy of her posts that in this case Emily did her homework before she posted (unless you think that she just guessed with uncanny accuracy).

My reply didn’t make Emily’s comment accurate, it simply demonstrated for you that Emily’s comment was indeed accurate.

I know this is just humour, and I’m as annoyed by the changes to the long form census as anyone, but it’s worth noting that population count was never part of the long form census, so it wasn’t actually affected by the changes the Tories enacted. The short form is still mandatory.

Lord_Kitcheners_Own on August 23, 2013 at 4:07 pm

How about a winner take all Parliament Hill cage match smack down featuring Stephen ‘The Mad Mauler’ Harper versus Justin ‘The Adjudicator’ Trudeau versus Thomas ‘The Terrifier’ Mulcair. Don Cherry could be called in as a commentator and all proceeds from the show which could be aired during a session of Question Period could go to paying down the country’s debt.

I suppose. That said, I didn’t actually realize immediately that the quote was specifically from Homer, but “Powerful – like how God must feel when he’s holding a gun” is so OBVIOUSLY a joke (and a line that I remembered specifically, though not its specific source) that it seems a little silly for someone to not just laugh at it.

Lord_Kitcheners_Own on August 22, 2013 at 10:23 pm

You need to watch more Simpsons. Fifth episode of the ninth season, ‘The Cartridge Family.’ Then it’ll all make sense (and it won’t seem like I’m picking on your guy…)

Giving you some context constitutes ‘telling you what to do’? Sheesh. No good deed goes unpunished, I guess.

gottabesaid on August 23, 2013 at 11:47 am

“You need to watch more Simpsons.” so spoke gottabesaid.

Francien Verhoeven on August 23, 2013 at 12:17 pm

You also need to lighten up.

gottabesaid on August 23, 2013 at 12:22 pm

You may like to live your life on someone else’s advice; I make my own choices. I’m not here to be liked.

Francien Verhoeven on August 23, 2013 at 12:26 pm

You’re also not here to make comments based on all the information, either. If you were, you’d never have commented on my post in the first place.

gottabesaid on August 23, 2013 at 12:32 pm

“When Stephen Harper held that gun in his hands, I bet he felt a surge of power… like how God must feel when he’s holding a gun.” so commented gottabesaid.

I point out abuse wherever I see it.

Francien Verhoeven on August 23, 2013 at 12:35 pm

Noble. Do you also chastise your fellow Conservatives who call Justin Trudeau ‘Justine’?

gottabesaid on August 23, 2013 at 1:40 pm

Your original empty comment was not about making fun of a name. I don’t use the name ‘Justine’ when referring to Justin. But if I would do that, I would certainly not object to the fact that you would object to that use of name. And please do when I do.

Francien Verhoeven on August 23, 2013 at 1:55 pm

It wasn’t empty. It was a shameless ripoff of the Simpsons. And you said you point abuse whenever you see it. I guess you were exaggerating.

I don’t know Nick, call be biased[i am] but there’s something about that picture of Harper that just isn’t cool…he doesn’t do cool. Now a real leader would have ripped his shirt off and dived in the nearby lake and brought up a 40lb jack in his teeth.

What was unrevealed about this photo op was that the gun was not loaded, not even with blanks, and they had a Ranger closely observing the PM’s trigger finger and making the appropriate “Pow!” sounds at the right time.

I still say it’s Putin he’s gunning for not Trudeau. But he’s not in their league until he does the shirtless thing.
Putin shows it off for the photos about once a week, and Trudeau went bare for the big boxing match. So Steve, time to reveal those massive pecs (?) and bulging biceps.
Stronach set a hell of an 80 year old bar yesterday,

Friendly reminder to gun owners that the prime minister looks comfortable with a firearm?

Comfortable is such a strong word… Judging by the picture, I’d say he looks “slightly less awkward than usual” with a gun. (Sorry, Harperians, but you have to admit that he rarely looks comfortable, even when he actually IS comfortable!)

But in all seriousness, I really can’t wait for the NDP to post an Instagram shot of Tom fixing a dimmer switch with a Smith and Wesson.

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